Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: An Old Friend
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[Having completed his three-day visit, Russian President Vladimir Putin departed for home this morning. The government announced that through this state visit by the Russian President…]
The next morning, Putin headed back to Russia.
The homework he left behind had me swamped.
In particular, with the joint development of the hypersonic anti-ship missile confirmed, the time had come to restructure the departments at Thales.
“You’re planning to create a specialized missile development center?”
“That’s right. I think it’s time we did some systems integration of our own. I’m planning to create a new department within Thales that unifies research and manufacturing, handling everything from air-to-air, air-to-ground, ground-to-air, and ground-to-ground missiles, as well as various anti-ship missiles. All research and production will be managed in one place.”
Vice President Kim swallowed hard.
He called it a department.
But a project of that scale was tantamount to establishing a whole new company, so he seemed quite taken aback.
“But our current R&D budget would be nowhere near enough, would it?”
“You don’t need to worry about the R&D costs. I plan to call a group meeting as early as tomorrow to increase Thales’s R&D budget by at least fivefold.”
“Fivefold?”
Vice President Kim stared with wide eyes.
He followed up by asking if that wouldn’t cause a financial strain during the upcoming KAI acquisition, but I firmly shook my head.
“It won’t be a problem unless KAI’s value suddenly jumps to eight trillion won. Anything less than that is manageable.”
Vice President Kim blinked at my words.
After all, that was as good as saying we had nearly eight trillion won in liquid assets.
And this was after acquiring Ssangwoong Motors and Daeyoo Trucks.
But there was one thing he was overlooking.
To be precise, the acquisitions of Ssangwoong and Daeyoo hadn't cost us all that much.
A large part of that was thanks to the government’s debt forgiveness and the creditors accepting our offer to issue them preferred stocks, which we would later buy back at the issue price.
“Where are you headed now?”
Vice President Kim asked, watching me get up.
Once a new division is established, isn't it only natural to secure the personnel to lead it?
As I hinted at my purpose, he started straightening his suit as if to follow me.
“Vice President, please just focus on setting up the center. I can handle recruiting the personnel on my own.”
“…”
*****
“Who are you looking for? Cha Seong-ho? The same Cha Seong-ho who was our classmate in college?”
For all the trouble I’d gone to, skipping lunch to find him, Hee-won’s reaction was negative.
Then again, I suppose he wouldn’t be thrilled about bringing in a friend who, despite being a genius, had such a peculiar way of thinking.
But that was just a difference in his thought process, not something that would hinder his research.
“Seong-ho might have been a bit of a space cadet, but he wasn't a bad person. In fact, his unique way of thinking was actually more of a help in his research.”
That wasn’t just my personal opinion; it was a fact.
After joining LS upon graduating, his ability to think outside the box made him stand out in the development of various missile seekers, and he eventually became the nation's top sensor developer.
With several missile development projects on the horizon, I desperately needed his skills.
“I don’t know about this.”
Hee-won gave a noncommittal response and stood up from his seat.
*Swoosh.*
But I immediately grabbed the hem of his jacket, and his eyes narrowed.
“What, you don’t expect me to go look for him with you, do you?”
“We don’t have to look for him. I’ve already confirmed he’s working at LS.”
“Then what’s the problem? Why are you trying to drag me along?”
I gave him a sly grin.
As if an old memory had surfaced, he waved his hands in alarm.
“I have no desire to see that guy. Shit, you know what he did to me.”
How could I not?
The incident where Hee-won went through hell because of Seong-ho.
Seong-ho, who had gotten caught up in a pyramid scheme that was popular at the time, had dragged in Hee-won, the most gullible among us. Hee-won too had been mesmerized by their slick sales pitches and couldn't escape the swamp for a while.
Of course, he tried to get out after realizing the truth, but it wasn't easy.
Eventually, Hyun-seung and I had to go pick up the two idiots who had finally managed to escape. We found them in a quiet seaside village in Gangneung, both having lost a good ten kilograms. Seeing them wandering the streets like that, we couldn't even bring ourselves to laugh.
“I don’t think it’s fair to put all the blame on Seong-ho, is it? You were pretty into that whole foolish business for a while too.”
“Damn it…”
Hee-won backed down at that.
And so, he came along.
While we waited for Seong-ho at the meeting place, Hee-won never stopped complaining.
“Do you even know how we escaped?”
“Of course I don’t. You two never said a word about that part.”
Hee-won stared off into the distance.
As if reliving the moment.
He let out a long sigh and then spoke abruptly.
“We… ate shit.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“That bastard Seong-ho said the only way to escape that hell was to act like a complete madman. So he took a dump on the floor and…”
I could barely process the rest of the story.
Something about how, one way or another, their captors ended up kicking the two lunatics out themselves.
In any case, it was incredible that one of them could come up with such an absurd idea, and the other could actually follow through with it.
“Yo!”
In the middle of our conversation, Seong-ho finally showed up.
He had put on some weight since I last saw him. The moment he spotted Hee-won, he froze, a wary look on his face.
“What are you doing here?”
“Shit, you think I wanted to come? My boss threatened to fire me if I didn't.”
The two bickered for a while, just like they were back in college.
After some time had passed, I glanced at my watch and then pushed an envelope toward Seong-ho.
“What’s this?”
“A contract.”
“What kind of contract?”
“A contract outlining the terms for you to join our company.”
“…”
Seong-ho glanced at the envelope.
Then, contrary to my expectations, he slid it back toward me with a resolute expression.
“I’m happy with my current company.”
“Why? Out of loyalty?”
“Loyalty, my ass. It’s not like I have any relatives there. I just don’t see a reason to move.”
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to at least look at the offer before deciding?”
I gently pushed the envelope back to him.
But he just shook his head, showing no intention of opening it.
“I can guess what’s inside. A slightly better salary, right?”
He seemed somewhat sulky.
What was the reason?
After thinking for a moment, I realized the problem was the very fact that he was working at LS.
Hyun-seung’s decision not to bring him to Thales, despite them once being inseparable friends.
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t have any power back then.”
I offered a quiet excuse.
As expected, that was the issue. His face contorted as he grumbled.
“Then you should have come to me when you did gain some real authority in the company.”
“That’s…”
I had no real excuse for that.
As I moistened my lips, wondering how to appease my disgruntled friend, Hee-won suddenly shouted.
“This is ridiculous. Hey! Look at everything Hyun-seung has been doing. You think he had any free time? And who the hell do you think you are, acting all high and mighty because he didn't come sooner? I’m warning you, if you don’t sign that contract right now, I’ll spread rumors all over your company.”
“What rumors?”
Seong-ho tilted his head at that.
Hee-won, looking triumphant as if he held a powerful weapon, spat out his words.
“What do you think, you bastard? Your glorious past. Don’t you remember eating shit back in the day?”
A smirk.
A sly smile spread across Seong-ho’s face.
Just as I had a bad feeling, his lips twisted into a grin.
“You’re the one who ate it. Am I crazy? Why would I eat something like that?”
“…What are you talking about? I clearly saw the shit on your lips back then.”
“You idiot. Just because it was on my lips, does that mean I ate it? Since we’re on the subject, why on earth did you eat it? All you had to do was pretend.”
“…”
Hee-won looked utterly shocked.
His face flushed red as he shot up from his seat and grabbed Seong-ho by the collar.
“You… you son of a bitch! And you call yourself a friend?”
“That’s enough!”
I shouted, stopping the two of them.
I took the papers out of the envelope myself and waved them in front of Seong-ho’s face.
“The position you’ll be given is Head of the Center. And your salary will be exactly four times what you’re making now. This is the best I can offer.”
“…”
Seong-ho, seeing my serious expression, blinked.
He repeated the words “Head of the Center” to himself for a moment, then suddenly pulled a pen from his pocket.
“You have to give me at least a month.”
“Of course.”
I replied instantly.
I glanced over at Hee-won, who was still scowling.
As I tried to placate him with a look, Seong-ho spoke again.
“I’m just saying this in case, but poaching other personnel from my team is impossible.”
“I’m not asking for that. There’s no need.”
After all, the research staff we currently had was more than capable of bringing the blueprints I possessed to life.
If I had to give a reason for needing Seong-ho, it was because all those blueprints were his own creations.
Simply put, I wanted to get my hands on the original developer of the technologies I held.
That would surely speed up future development.
“Ah! There’s one more condition.”
Seong-ho, who had just finished signing, suddenly looked up and said.
Wondering what other strange thing he would say, I watched as he looked back and forth between Hee-won and me, his expression suddenly earnest.
“No matter how busy we are, can’t we, as friends, get together like this at least once a month?”
“…”
The moment he said that, Hee-won’s scowl instantly softened.
I felt a pang of guilt as well.
As I was about to nod with a smile, he had to add one more thing.
“Actually, I went to Jun’s columbarium a while ago. Looking at his ashes… it got me thinking. What is life even about? Why do we have to live like this…?”
“…”
******
“Your friend has quite the personality, Mr. Chairman.”
A few days later, after his meeting with Seong-ho, Vice President Kim shook his head.
That eccentricity of his wouldn’t go away.
The saving grace was that he never crossed the line, a point on which Vice President Kim seemed to give him high marks.
“His way of thinking isn’t conventional, but he’s by no means rude or thoughtless. In fact, once you get to know his true self, you’ll find him hard to push away.”
“Well, I suppose I’ll find out in time. In any case, it seems the overall layout for the missile development center is set, so we should be able to begin development in earnest soon.”
“You’ve worked hard. By the way, are these the prototypes for the bulletproof vests?”
On the sofa where Vice President Kim had been sitting, an array of bulletproof vests of various designs were laid out.
It made me wonder if this was an office or a research lab.
His dedication to work was admirable, but the clutter made me feel almost apologetic just looking at it.
“The prototypes were ready three months ago. We already had the metal foam technology secured. Ah! I was just about to report this, but we sent about 200 prototypes to the US Army a fortnight ago.”
I tilted my head at his words.
Vice President Kim picked up a vest and walked over, patting it as he continued.
“I contacted Lieutenant General Michael on a whim. There were rumors that the US military was planning to develop new body armor. He asked me to send some samples.”
“Is that so?”
I replied nonchalantly and took the vest from him.
Even with a plate inserted into the soft armor, it felt incredibly light.
Moreover, unlike ceramic plates, it bent easily, which seemed to guarantee excellent mobility.
“Have you conducted ballistic tests?”
“Of course. We’ve confirmed its ability to stop not only standard rifle rounds but also armor-piercing ones.”
If that was the case, we had a good chance.
In fact, for the US military, which is extremely averse to personnel casualties, the appearance of a product that could guarantee their soldiers’ safety would be a game-changer. They might just go crazy for it.
Vice President Kim’s swift action was nothing short of remarkable.
“I’ll have to give Lieutenant General Michael a call soon.”
“I can make the call, so you don’t need to worry about that, Mr. Chairman.”
“I’d appreciate that. Oh, and I’ll be out of the office for a few days.”
“Are you going on a business trip?”
“I’m scheduled to visit the UAE for the final delivery of the HVPs. While I’m at it, I plan to stop by Saudi Arabia as well.”
After my brief reply, I stood up.
Startled by the sudden news of my visit to Saudi Arabia, Vice President Kim quickly asked.
“Why are you going to Saudi Arabia?”
*Swoosh.*
I turned to look at him again.
Then, I said one more thing to his still-baffled face.
“I’m going to squeeze some money out of them. No, it would be more accurate to say I’m going to secure a reliable ally.”
“…”